Drawing butts is the giggly new way that New York startup Madbrook believes will help kids learn to draw … and keep on drawing. And they’re going to help out the process with their brand spanking new app for the iPad that will help kids learn how to draw zoo animals. The new application joins two other “Butt Art” books the company currently sells in stores.

Though some might raise their eyebrows or scoff about the premise behind the technique, Madbrook believes that it will benefit parents as well as children by making the process more interactive and stimulating. Since, they claim, learning to draw the shape of a butt is fundamental to other pictures, this app will increase a child’s ability to draw subjects on a grander scale. The Butt Art app comes with many standard drawing tools like brushes, pencils, stickers, and a palette of colors, but it also allows for zooming and multiple layers.

The program is designed for kids aged four to eleven. Animated lessons that take a child step by step through the drawing process will teach children to draw a variety of animals; once the child becomes proficient, the animations can be turned off. And after the budding artist has completed their current work, it can be saved to a gallery for further perusing.

Another intriguing aspect of the Butt Art app features its ability to notify parents once a new piece has been completed. Then the proud mommy or daddy can share their little darling’s latest masterpiece with the rest of the world by sharing it on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. There is also an online activity feed where the work can be posted that allows for the creation of a profile, the date the image was created, and the colors the artist used. As an extra incentive to keep on drawing, the app awards badges to children for their achievements. Butt Art promotes family togetherness, as parents feel that they have a part in the artistic process, even though there isn’t currently a way for parents to comment in real time. But even that aspect is in the works.

Founder Brian Snyder has spoken out about his feelings that parents should be involved in the artistic lives of their children, and that the Butt Art app allows for parent participation without making a big deal about it in case the kids get scared away.

The reason that Madbrook published the books first, Snyder says, was to generate interest before the completion of the app and to allow for children who may not own an iPad. The books, which can be purchased from Barnes and Noble, also offer content for the app version.

Snyder is passing on the “Butt Art technique” he learned when he was a child, and subsequently taught his own daughter, which inspired him to create the book and application. He is in the process of putting out two more books that will be available to purchase in stores by May.3